LOUISA N. SONGWE, CHIEF OF INVESTIGATIONS

Louisa has over 15 years of experience in international criminal law and specialized expertise in investigating child abuse, sexual exploitation and abuse, gender-based violence (SGBV), conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), violations of international human rights and humanitarian law violations, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. 

She is a Senior Lawyer with the Muna Muna and Associates Law Firm in Yaoundé, Cameroon. In 2021, she served as a SGBV Investigator for the support team of the WHO Independent Commission on allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation during the response to the tenth Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Louisa also served as Gender Specialist, SGBV Investigator and Acting Chief Investigator with the UN International Commission of Inquiry for Mali.   Prior to that, she worked with the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in successive capacities including as an Associate Legal Officer in the Chambers Support Section, Legal Officer to the Vice President of the Tribunal/Presiding Judge, Assistant Appeals Counsel in the Office of the ICTR Prosecutor and as Legal Officer for the ICTR Registrar. Louisa  took part in drafting the landmark decision in Prosecutor v. Jean Bosco UWINKINDI which was the ICTR's first referral Decision, granting the Prosecutor's motion to refer a case to the courts in Rwanda. She also worked as Defence Legal Assistant and Legal Consultant with the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL).

She also served as independent consultant for the NGO-Research Institute for Development (RIDEV) as a legal and gender expert advising on grievance redress mechanisms and human rights in the Far North region of Cameroon (Boko Haram zone) on a project sponsored by the Cameroon Government and the World Bank Group.   

Louisa has an LLB in English private Law from the University of Yaoundé II Soa, Cameroon, and an LLM in International Legal Studies from Washington College of Law, American University, United States of America. 

In her capacity as Chief of Investigations, she has the following roles and responsibilities:

• The Chief of Investigations (CoI) is solely responsible to the Independent Special Commission (ISC), reporting to the ISC through the Coordinator of the Commission.

• The CoI, in consultation with the Commissioners and Coordinator, has primary responsibility to plan and manage the conduct of investigations further to the Terms of Reference of the ISC.  The CoI will manage the work of the ISC investigators and oversee the process of information gathering and analyses, conduct of in-person and remote interviews with survivors, witnesses and alleged perpetrators.  

• The CoI will regularly review and if necessary update the strategic investigation plan and standard operating procedures in consultation with the ISC Commissioners and Coordinator and will ensure that the guidance and direction provided by the Commissioners and the Coordinator are being implemented in the investigations. 

• The CoI will advise the Commissioners and Coordinator on operational investigations, including survivor-centric and trauma informed approaches, survivor and witness safeguarding, and referral to psycho-social support providers. 

• The CoI will collaborate with the Coordinator and Secretary to the Commission to ensure that all necessary support, information and reporting on the process of investigations, information gathering and analysis is promptly available to the ISC Team and the Commissioners. 

 • The CoI will be responsible for the preparation of drafts of reports of investigations and their analysis and findings including where appropriate preparing case files for referral of any cases involving credible allegations of criminal conduct, through SOS CV, to the competent national authorities as authorised by the Commissioners in consultation with the Coordinator.

• The CoI will ensure that gender and other intersecting inequalities and marginalizations are mainstreamed throughout investigation activities, responsive to local cultural contexts.